“As Commander in Chief of the Kansas National Guard, I am grateful to Senator Moran and Representative Davids for leading the push to pass the PACT Act and deliver care for the troops who have done so much to protect us,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I encourage every Kansas veteran impacted by this new law to contact the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office and get the care they deserve.”

The veterans administration will now accept all eligible candidates without requiring a “burden of proof” indicating they had suffered from exposure. Many veterans have been refused medical coverage, letters of denial stating they could not prove their health issues were linked to toxic exposure during their service.

"In January 2022, Earthjustice and the Guam community group, Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force for its intent to continue to utilize open burn and open detonation practices at Tarague Beach on Andersen Air Force Base," the release added.

Expanded health care benefits are coming soon for more than 150,000 Minnesota veterans -- and a Mankato man played key role in scoring this big win.

The legislation expands Department of Veterans Affairs medical eligibility for ailments potentially related to exposure to smoke from massive burn pits in Afghanistan, Iraq and bases in the Middle East. The veterans could qualify from a long list of potential ailments five or 10 years after discharge. It also creates a one-year enrollment period for post 9/11 vets who did not enroll during their first five years after discharge.

President Biden’s compassion was on full display at the signing of the PACT act. It was beautiful to watch. As I was reading the comments, I kept expecting attacks from the ugly authoritarian white supremacist white grievance bigot party members and I haven’t seen a single one after twenty comments (there might-be likely are some, unfortunately, in the replies to the comments) and the comments are chicken soup for the soul. They will warm your heart! It’s hard to pick the ones to display!

“It’s almost like a court case, you know building a case. In court you need to have evidence, you need to have the what. You’re the who, but you need to have the what and the when and the why to put that case together and file a successful claim at the VA,” Dykes said.

Before founding the club, Harrell spent nine years in the service with tours to Kuwait and Cyprus. However, Iraq was where he said he lived the closest, about a football field away from the burn pit.

“It was a bittersweet moment to see President Biden sign this bill into law, to witness history,” said Partin, who attended the event. “As he signed, I thought about those who didn’t make it and are no longer with us. I wondered will the Navy finally come clean and do the right thing for our Navy and Marine service members and their families? We have reached our final chapter in this 25-plus year fight for justice.”

Earlier this month, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) spoke about the passage of the Honoring Our PACT Act.

Paul, one of the 11 who opposed the bill, argued that it would jeopardize the economy and that it might be handled improperly because it might be difficult for veterans to demonstrate that their medical conditions were brought on by their time in the military.

After 25 Republican senators voted last week against the PACT Act, the GOP has constantly been in the headlines for opposing the legislation meant to help veterans who were exposed to toxins in the line of duty, and on Monday’s “The Late Show,” Stephen Colbert had something to say about it.

“So there will certainly be an influx in the cases that are being, you know, kind of being gone through by the VA, and they’re anticipated to hire a lot of new staff to help deal with this,” Pettijohn said. “But as veterans are aware, it’s a hurry up and wait game a lot of the time. So if you have one of the conditions that has a presumptive link, then you need to hurry up and make that claim.”

It was the most direct link the president has publicly drawn between Beau’s fatal brain cancer and burn pits. The president made addressing the problem one of his priorities during his State of the Union address in March.

It was the most direct link the president has publicly drawn between Beau’s fatal brain cancer and burn pits. The president made addressing the problem one of his priorities during his State of the Union address in March.

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in North Carolina, has joined forces with South Carolina's Bell Legal Group on behalf of Camp Lejeune water contamination victims. Bell Legal Group was instrumental in the passage of the law that granted victims the opportunity to seek compensation and chose to partner with James Scott Farrin to help victims.

I wanted to tell about the injustice of serving your country only to be denied the most basic of care. I wanted to tell about a soldier who knew he was going to die but only cared about what would happen to his wife and family.

Because these conditions have already taken such a toll on so many veterans and their families, I have directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat all 23 presumptive conditions as — in this law — as applicable the moment I sign this bill.

Audrey Williams-Pride moved to Camp Lejeune in the 1980s when her husband served there. She had no idea the water they used for drinking and bathing was contaminated.

The federal government has acknowledged the toxic water, on the base for decades, caused everything from cancer to Parkinson’s disease.

Biden was joined by McDonough, members of Congress, veterans who had been exposed to toxins and representatives of Veterans Service Organizations. He was introduced by Danielle Robinson and Brielle Robinson, the surviving wife and daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, whom the PACT Act is named after.